Services at risk if Newman Lake Fire District levy doesn't pass, insurance rates may soar

NEWMAN LAKE, Wash. - Results of the upcoming election could determine whether insurance rates will go up for people in Newman Lake.

Fire District 13 has a levy proposed on the upcoming ballot for the fourth election in a row.

The levy would increase property taxes by 31 center per $1,000 of assessed property value, which comes out to $155 a year for a $500,000 home.

Fire Chief Daron Bement said if the levy doesn't pass, they may have to cut services to the area and insurance rates could go up.

Fire District 13 said it doesn't have enough money in the operations budget to keep the staff it currently has. Right now, the district is expecting to be over $300,000 over budget by 2026 if this new levy doesn't pass.

Bement said if it's forced to decrease staff, the insurance rates in the area could end up being much more expensive than the tax increase on the ballot.

"If we don't have the service here and the staffing to maintain our current WSRB rating, that number would increase, which would equate to an increase in homeowner insurance," he said.

The rating Bement referred to is what insurance companies call a Protection Class. The less coverage a fire district can offer, the higher that protection class number will be.

Fire District 13 estimated for a $700,000 home, an increase from Protection Class 6 to Protection Class 8 could cost over $1,200 per year.

"I would expect it to be in that range, I think they did some good homework," said North Town Insurance agent Aaron LeBlanc.

LeBlanc said insurance companies will also drop clients or refuse to insure people in certain areas if the protection class gets too high.

Newman Lake resident Beryl Coe said he called two insurance companies in Newman Lake about the potential insurance increases. He believes the claims from Fire District 13 are false.

"I think they're trying to use scare tactics, because it doesn't matter what the levy is or what the fire station does, it doesn't affect your insurance," Coe said. "I called State Farm and they basically said the same thing."

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